Author: Cindy Lee

A few days just before Christmas, I spent a few hours in a hospital. My dad has cancer and periodically I take him for his cancer treatments. On his most recent visit, something interesting happened. While sitting in the waiting room, the TV was on and was loud enough to be heard over people talking. There was a hospital worker telling a story describing his experience of living and working through a hospital merger. Another worker was describing working at a hospital during 9/11 and the fear associated with that day. Directly to my right, a husband and wife were arguing about medicines taken and who was coming to their Christmas dinner. Yet, there were these two women (a cancer patient waiting for her treatment and her daughter) that were listening to the Bible read from a phone app. I actually thought I was witnessing a modern-day parable—in a world of chaos where noise abounds for everyone and everywhere, one can still hear the Word of God. It is never as loud as the surrounding voices, but it has the ability to penetrate the ear when one is ready to hear. I could clearly hear the Bible being read, though I was closer to the TV and the other people were extremely loud. Sometimes I think God is speaking all the time, and we are simply not willing to listen. Isaiah 30:27 says, “Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ whether to the right or to the left.” We long for His voice in shouts like fireworks, hoping it would drown out all other sounds. Perhaps God speaks all the time in whispers for the purpose of closeness and intimacy with him. This week, listen intently. Look deliberately for the one speaking in whispers. There we can find the lover of our souls.   This Week’s Readings: * Monday – Luke 6 * Tuesday – Luke 7 * Wednesday- Luke 8 * Thursday – Luke 9 * Friday- Luke 10 Prayer Requests: * A Happy New Year for all!!! * Strengthen the St. Paul United Methodist Church family. * Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. * Give our leaders extra wisdom as they navigate this pandemic and economic uncertainty. * Those seeking to find their way.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

Blaise Pascal, the seventeenth-century mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher astutely said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” Yet, many seek to fill their lives with material things or money. If not something material, they seek contentment in a fictitious view of themselves which is presented to other people. The hope is their “social media” self will bring them the happiness long desired. Pascal was right, true happiness, contentment, and joy can only be filled by the one who can make any and all whole. Therefore, set your face toward Christ today. Make it a purpose to seek him in the new year. Be intentional, purposeful, and diligent. The Prophet Jeremiah understood this when he wrote, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Chapter 29:13).   This Week’s Readings: * Monday – Luke 1 * Tuesday – Luke 2 * Wednesday- Luke 3 * Thursday – Luke 4 * Friday- Luke 5 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

The other day while walking past one of our Christmas trees, I looked down and realized that it needed more water. The tree-stand was almost empty. Naturally, I filled the stand full of water for the fourth time in a week. While pouring the water, I immediately said to myself, “Well here is a modern-day parable.” Let me elaborate: There once was a man who bought a Christmas tree for decoration. He came home, put the tree in the stand, and his family decorated it with beautiful ornaments and lights. Knowing that the tree was cut from its roots, the man knew that the tree would need water to keep it alive as long as possible, at least through the month of December. He knew that the tree needed the water and the moment the stand was empty the tree would die immediately. So, every time the man walked by the tree, he made sure it had plenty of water, thus keeping it alive as long as possible. Like any parable, there might need to be an explanation: We are like the tree, we need water to live, we have to monitor the water intake continually filling, or we will be like a dying tree where leaves fall off and we lose our beauty. Spiritually speaking, we need the life-giving water that comes from God’s Spirit. Failure to continually fill our insides will only produce decay.   This Week’s Readings: * Monday – Rev. 1 | Rev. 2 | Rev. 3 | Rev. 4 * Tuesday – Rev. 5 | Rev. 6 | Rev. 7 | Rev. 8 | Rev. 9 * Wednesday- Rev. 10 | Rev. 11 | Rev. 12 | Rev. 13 | Rev. 14 * Thursday – Rev. 15 | Rev. 16 | Rev. 17 | Rev. 18 * Friday- Rev. 19 | Rev. 20 | Rev. 21 | Rev. 22 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

Advent has always been a favorite time of the year for many people because it indicates that Christmas is right around the corner. However, it can be a very stressful time of the year due to the increase of events tied to the season. In addition, there are supply chain shortages, trials & verdicts, new Covid variants, high death rates, joblessness, workers who are over-worked, violence, crime, the widening gap between the haves and have nots, congressional struggles, gas prices, inflation, China, and I’m sure there are a few other things on the docket according to the latest news headlines. In any season those news events would be enough but are intensified due to the hectic season. The best response to any societal malaise is gratitude. Gratitude is a light to any darkness. Anchored in grace, gratitude is other-directed. Even those outside of the Church have witnessed the benefits of gratitude. The gurus on this topic are two professors: Robert Edmunds (University of California) and Michael McCullough (University of Miami). They asked people to keep a Gratitude Journal for at least a month. Here is what they found from their studies: Those who kept the journal experienced: Enhanced Well-Being where people experienced a better quality of life. Deeper Relationships where the bonds of friendship were strengthened, and they felt more loved and cared for by others. Greater Happiness where they felt more joy, comfort, and harmony. They had less pain and more energy. Better Self Control where they reacted in anger less because they felt more at peace. Spiritual Growth where their faith matured. Followers of Christ shouldn’t be surprised by their findings. Christians are people of grace that find expression in gratitude. If you find yourself in a place where you have forgotten the power of grace, begin your Gratitude Journal today.   This Week’s Readings: * Monday – John 12 | John 13 | John 14 * Tuesday – John 15 | John 16 | John 17 | John 18 * Wednesday- John 19 | John 20 | John 21  *Thursday – 1 John 1 | 1 John 2 | 1 John 3 | 1 John 4 | 1 John 5 * Friday-  2 John 1-13 | 3 John 1-15 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

During the high seasons of the liturgical year (Advent and Lent), I like to read traditional prayers. The prayers that have been passed down through the ages carry with them a connection to all the saints who have prayed them. Okay, maybe not a literal connection, but a figurative one for sure. Often when I pray them, I envision the saints of old praying the same words at the same time. In one voice we lift our prayers before God. Give it a try. Below are some Advent prayers. As you read these prayers aloud, imagine saints all over the globe at different times in history praying the same words as you do. Together, in unison, voices are lifted to God Almighty. O God, you so loved the world as to give your only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Grant to us the precious gift of faith, that we may know that the Son of God is come and may have the power to overcome the world and gain blessed immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. Ever-present God, you taught us that the night is far spent, and the day is at hand. Grant that we may ever be found watching for the coming of your Son. Save us from undue love of the world, that we may wait with patient hope for the day of the Lord, and so abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may not be ashamed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and forever. Amen. This Week’s Readings: *Monday – 2 Peter 1 | 2 Peter 2 | 2 Peter 3 | John 1  *Tuesday – John 2 | John 3 | John 4  *Wednesday- John 5 | John 6  *Thursday – John 7 | John 8 *Friday- John 9 | John 10 | John 11 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

Currently, I’m studying 1 and 2 Thessalonians. The Apostle Paul wrote these letters to a community that was persecuted for their faith. I’m grateful that we don’t live in that same environment. The early Christian martyrs often suffered many atrocities because of their faith. They were killed by the sword, mauled by lions, burned, beheaded, and even branded with hot irons. Many were tortured for days before martyrdom. Early Christians made life-death decisions when they chose to follow Christ. Our (my) society doesn’t have the same struggles and many times pales in comparison in reference to the amount of persecution. They had persecution; we have discomforts. When seen through the lens of the early Christians, I’m overwhelmed with how good I have it. I would imagine the same would be for you. This week I hope that you would reflect on the gifts and blessings you have received. I hope you give thanks to God for his grace and mercy. I hope you ponder how fortunate you are to be born at a particular time and in a particular place. I hope that you will consider all that has been laid so that a decision to follow Christ isn’t met with the tip of a sword. This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Hebrews 5 | Hebrews 6 | Hebrews 7 | Hebrews 8 *Tuesday – Hebrews 9 | Hebrews 10 | Hebrews 11 *Wednesday- Hebrews 12 | Hebrews 13 | Jude 1-24 *Thursday – James 1 | James 2 | James 3 | James 4 | James 5 *Friday- 1 Peter 1 | 1 Peter 2 | 1 Peter 3 | 1 Peter 4 | 1 Peter 5 Please Pray for: • An end to the Covid Crisis. • Our children as they cope with world issues. • All ministry events inside and outside the walls of St. Paul. • Families in crisis. • Loved ones battling illness. • Those seeking to find their way. • The St. Paul Church family. • The United Methodist Church family. • Our leaders, our country, and our world.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6